


The Spy Next Door

by Delirius



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Multi, SHIELD, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-14 06:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7157114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delirius/pseuds/Delirius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers, a highly successful counter-intelligence SHIELD Agent, moves next door to the friendly HYDRA couple who have been living under cover as ordinary citizens in a sleepy suburban neighbourhood.</p><p>They're about to get along like a house on fire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New in Town

The beat up blue Mini contained an alarming amount of boxes, and within those boxes was the entirety of his life.He had thought about stopping by the new place to shower and unload a few things, but punctuality was more important to him than appearances.If he had to choose between one or the other, he was going to show up a little rumpled with all his baggage in plain view for his new co-workers to see.

After all, they knew who he was when they hired him.

SHIELD’s Washington D.C. headquarters dominated the skyline with its sleek, glass-sided facade disappearing into the clouds.It was a buzzing hive of activity.Officious looking men and women in suits, wearing shades over their eyes and yet unmistakably watching every move of the stranger in their midst.

“Captain Rogers?Steve Rogers?”A tall, slender woman, dressed like the others had made her way to his side.She extended her hand, and he shook it, grateful to have his presence acknowledged.

“Yes!Agent Hill, I hope?”

She looked him up and down subtly, but made no comment on what she saw.“You’re right on time.Director Fury asked me to bring you right up to the command centre.You’re going to have to hit the ground running, a big mess landed on our desks this morning.”

Without looking to see if Steve was following her, Agent Hill started walking towards the elevators.She talked as she walked, giving Steve the quickest orientation he had ever received.

His head was a jumble of access codes and instructions.There was something about making sure to scan his retina, before his fingerprints, or the sensors would set off an alarm in the upper clearance levels?

She looked over at him, and smiled.“Don’t worry.There’s an entire army of agents here to support you.You just focus on protecting this country from the bad guys.We’ll figure out the rest.”

The elevator chimed.The doors slid open to reveal a long, sterile looking hallway.Agent Hill led him past a set of high security doors, and Steve found himself in a busy hub of activity.Massive screens displayed layers of maps and image son documents with information blacked out.In the centre, the words ‘missing, presumed dead’ blinked beneath the image of a blond man.

“Looks like you finally decided to join our team, Rogers.”Steve began to respond, but the man immediately cut him off again.“This is our first time dealing with this particular version of HYDRA.How much do you know about their domestic operations and what it might have to do with my missing agent?”

Agent Hill managed to slip in to perform the briefest of introductions.“Captain Steve Rogers.Director Nick Fury.”

They nodded at each other in greeting.Steve was actually relieved to be spared the never ending small-talk that people loved to fill workplaces with.He eagerly dove right in.“HYDRA has ramped up its domestic activity in the past several years.They seem to be taking a page from Cold War tactics.Embedding their agents as long-term sleeper cells.At this point they could almost be anybody.”

“Like in New York?” snickered an agent in a whisper to someone next to him.“Right under their noses!”

“Actually yes,” said Fury.The agent nearly fell out of his chair with surprise, and the other pretended to be very interested in her work.“It was Captain Rogers who headed up the team that tracked and rooted out that nest of HYDRA agents.They had done a pretty damaging job of infiltrating the New York SHIELD bureau.Captain Rogers saved many lives by stopping that bomb plot.And now he’s going to do the same for us here.Starting with my agent up there.”

He had the agents’ complete attention by this point, as well as that of almost everyone within earshot.

“You’re… Captain America?” asked one of the agents, in awe.

The nickname never failed to make Steve turn bright red, but he smiled and offered his hand.“So they tell me.Nice to meet you.”

There was a quick round of introductions.Steve was better with faces than with names, and so he was quickly overwhelmed.

“We can do that later.There’ll be plenty of time for holding hands and asking for autographs after we find my agent.”Fury’s tone was sharp, and the agents immediately returned to their tasks.

“Sounds like there’s more to this story than what the file says.”Steve looked up at the screen, and the words ‘presumed dead’.“Unless the situation is worse that it seems and you’re speaking about more than one missing agent?”

Agent Hill began to explain.“The official story is that Agent Clint Barton is presumed dead-“

“-but between us, that’s just what we need HYDRA to think for now.They’re not dumb enough to believe that story for long, but it’ll buy us time.I’m hoping it’ll be just enough for us to recover Agent Barton - alive - before they have time to smuggle him out of our jurisdiction.”

Or worse - but that was left unsaid by everyone in the room.

After a moment of silence and a chance to clear her throat, Agent Hill continued her briefing.“Agent Barton was undercover.He was scheduled to meet a high level politician, who had ties to HYDRA according to our intel.”

“The meet never happened,” said Fury.

“He never left his hotel room that day.Reports say his it was completely tossed.There was enough blood spray on the walls, carpet and furniture to indicate a significant, if not fatal loss of blood.”

Images of the hotel room flashed up on the screen.It was a grim place to start an investigation.

“Any signs this was HYDRA’s work?” he asked, even though he knew the answer already.Before all the evidence was in, there was nothing but the sixth sense agents like him developed after doing this job for any length of time.

“No.Whoever did this was good.Very good.We never see them.But we did catch a back glimpse of this man,” a blurry street camera picture came into view.A tall, solidly built man got out of a car that had been idling in a nearly alley and walked away from the camera.“He’s not an employee as far as we can tell.We’re putting it out on the wire, but we have no leads on who our mystery man can be.”

Steve stared at the picture.There was something… familiar about it somehow, despite being a blur of the back of a complete stranger.It was unsettling and he couldn’t put it out of his mind.

 

* * *

 

Night had fallen by the time Steve made his way to the new house.The quiet suburban street was already asleep beneath the dim streetlights, so there was no audience to watch the brief, clown-car-like, unloading of the Mini’s contents.

Steve was always drawn to a Spartan lifestyle, but even he had to admit his current circumstances were… excessive.

There was no bed, just a sleeping bag and an air mattress waiting to be inflated.He had a box of his old records and the player itself.A few others with basic necessities.The rest, he would build up from scratch, just as he was starting his life from scratch.

In the home he left behind - that was a home, and this was a house - the furniture and decor was warm and comforting.It had a classic sensibility and practicality that drew in friends as if it was a second home for them.All of it was distinctly unlike the quiet, introverted ex-soldier.And yet, it was exactly what he needed in every way.

It was her, he needed.

Peggy Carter was the vivacious woman who swept into his life, just as he thought he’d spend the rest of his life alone.She wasn’t willing to settle for anything in life, and as a result she wasn’t willing to let Steve settle for just any old life either.She was the warmth and comfort in their home, and it was through her efforts that Steve avoided his inevitable slide into hermitage.

“Now who’s going to keep me from falling apart?” he asked the night sky.He pulled out the old family pocket watch he carried everywhere, and ran a finger over the picture of Peggy.Without her the house, the furniture… all of it lost its magic.He couldn’t even bear to sleep in the same bed anymore.“This was your dream home. _Our_ dream home.I wish you had a chance to see it.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat made him spin around, hand on the gun at his hip.

It was a red-haired woman holding a brown paper bag.For a moment, Steve thought it was Peggy...

Seeing the gun at his hip, the woman raised an eyebrow.It didn’t stop her from coming closer, close enough for Steve to realize they had never met before.

“My name’s Natasha.I live next door.Thought I’d bring over some leftover dinner and a six-pack.Figured you’d be too busy moving to get a proper meal in you.”She looked at his meagre belongings.“I might have… overestimated how much help you needed.”

Steve laughed.“I know.I know.I’m married to my work and live exactly like the stereotype of a terrible bachelor.I’m… working on it.”He gratefully accepted the offerings, and invited her inside.She shook her head and waved off the offer.

“Ah, that’s okay.I’ve got to get back.I just needed to satisfy my curiosity about the new guy.”

“Ask away.I’m pretty boring, unfortunately.”

“Well… what do you do for work, do you have family?That’s horribly nosy, I know.My husband warned me to give you some time before I assaulted you.”

Natasha’s eyes moved constantly, taking in every detail.She was sharp and curious, and clearly unafraid of speaking her mind.But there was something about her that put Steve at ease.He was glad for the company to take him away from his thoughts.

“I’m a SHIELD Agent.Counter-intelligence against HYDRA.Nothing terribly fun, just keeping the bad guys on their toes when they try to pull their stunts on US soil.”

“Ah, I wondered about the gun.I wasn’t sure what to think about it for a minute there.Now at least I know you’re a hero not a serial killer or something.Not that you look like a serial killer.You look kind of… apple pie.”

“I have heard that before.I guess I am.”

“Pretty big place to live in by yourself.We were starting to wonder if anyone was planning to live her at all.You have a family?”

Steve hesitated.He wasn’t prepared to answer these sort of questions so soon.“My fiancee used to talk about her dream house… a porch to sit on, white picket fence, that sort of thing.It’s the only reason I picked this place.Otherwise I’d be living in some single bedroom in the city.”

“Death or divorce?”

Steve fiddled with his car keys, blindsided by the directness of the question.“Neither.She was in an accident and never really came back from it.She’s alive, but not really there.I bought this house because if she gets better, I want her to come home to her dream home.”

Natasha smiled sadly.“That’s sweet.Really.I shouldn’t have asked.James is always telling me I make people nervous, but I swear I mean well.Listen… can I make up for it by inviting you to dinner tomorrow?You’ll probably get along with James like a house on fire.”

“Work is always unpredictable, I never know what time I-“ he paused, remembering how hard Peggy had to work to make sure he didn’t bury himself in work completely.“Actually yes.That would be really great.”

Natasha grinned and turned to head back across the yard to her own place.“7 o’clock!See you there!”

 

* * *

 

Natasha didn't remember leaving the hallway light on.

She walked to the kitchen and casually put away the dishes and tupperware left over from what she took to the new neighbour, but really what she went to grab was a large knife.Not knowing what to expect, she had to steady her nerves and be ready for anything.

The door to the basement was left unbolted, so she quietly turned the knob and eased it open.The stairs were less cooperative, the old wood squeaking unmercifully as she got halfway down.

“Who’s there?” called a man’s voice.There was the sound of the safety of a gun clicking off.

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the light to see her husband working on the car.With his gun drawn and pointed at her.

He relaxed when he saw it was her, but shook his head.“Did you shut the doors behind you?”

“Yes, thank you James.I’m not a complete idiot.”She smiled at him, and the tone in her voice was teasing rather than angry.

“I came home and you were gone.”James said evenly.He was a quiet man, who was very rarely overly affectionate or angry, but years of living together had let Natasha in to the slight ripples in his body language and their meanings.He was fearful for her, and even though it would mortify him to have it acknowledged, he was pouting ever so slightly.

She smiled fondly at her husband.“I went to visit the new neighbour.”

“And?”

“He’s just your type.Handsome - tall, blond and a perfect specimen.”

James frowned and started to walk towards her.“That’s not funny-“A noise from the trunk distracted him and he quickly returned to where he stood before Natasha interrupted him and punched something inside it a few times.“I told you to stay down, or we’re going to have to go another round!”

“SHIELD will find you-!” the voice from the trunk managed to yell as the punches loosened the gag in his mouth slightly.James shoved it back in his mouth and this time hit him hard enough to knock him out.

“Maybe.But not in time to save you,” James muttered.

Natasha walked over and peered into the trunk, where the SHIELD Agent they captured from the mission that morning was still bound and gagged.The mission was a failure.She was supposed to get in and out of the hotel room.It should have taken minutes, if the target had been anyone except a SHIELD agent.How could the higher ups have missed that the target was a fucking SHIELD agent?

Now they had to figure out what the hell to do with him.

Natasha ran her fingers along the tight muscles of James’ back.This was the sort of complication that was more likely to get them killed than not.There was only one thing she could think of that would make her lose even more sleep.

“Did I mention the hot new neighbour is a SHIELD Agent…?”


	2. Strategic Propositions

Steve found the emptiness of the new house wouldn't let him drift off to sleep.He kept dreaming that someone was hiding in the shadows, just out of sight - a ghost of a person he once cared about deeply.His guilt about Peggy’s accident and not being able to do more for her, maybe.  Or his guilt about a much deeper betrayal, he'd never been able to confess to anyone.

Eventually he just gave up, and went in to the office early.

To his surprise, he wasn’t the only one with that idea.The entire senior team was already there, working the Hawkeye case.He had to wonder if Maria Hill even went home between shifts, or if she was as much an ever present fixture as Director Fury himself.

At that moment she was standing her ground, arguing with a man Steve didn’t recognize.He had his arm bandaged, supported by a sling around his neck.

“You’re supposed to be on sick leave!” Maria protested.“We know how important this is to you, but you need your rest.We would have come to you if things got out of control!”

“Things _have_ got out of control!Clint’s been captured by HYDRA, and up till this morning you all thought he was dead and no one bothered to pick up the fucking phone?!”

Steve cleared his throat, seeing his chance to interrupt.“Until this morning?Does that mean we have proof of life?Agent Steve Rogers, by the way.”He held out his hand, and the other man shook it with a surprised expression on his face.

“Sam Wilson… holy shit.That’s another thing no one fucking bothered to tell me.My new partner’s here, and he’s, fucking Captain America?!”

The expletive made him flinch, but he laughed as he always did when people reacted that way.That ridiculous nickname.He wished it would go away, but until it did he had to accept it with a little more grace than he felt.“Just Steve will be fine, Sam.”

Maria Hill was the one who answered Steve’s initial question.“The lab tested the blood found at the crime scene.A small amount was his.Enough to confirm he was part of the altercation in that room, but not enough to suggest he’s in immediate danger from blood loss.The rest seems to have been put there to mess with us.”

“To what end?They should know we’d come at them with full force if they harm one of our own.Capturing him is bad enough - they will pay for that - but if all that blood _had_ been Clint’s…?”Sam shook his head, confused.

Steve had done his fair share of undercover missions against HYDRA and knew they didn’t think like SHIELD did.“It’s a threat.However they found out he was a SHIELD agent, they wanted us to know they’re not playing around.If we don’t find him soon, we really are going to find his body in a room painted with his blood.”

Everyone was quiet.It was true.Every SHIELD agent was shown the results of agents found and tortured by HYDRA.They were completely, mindlessly devoted to their cause, and would go to any lengths to win.

Sam swallowed hard before he spoke.“What about Clint’s mission?When they captured him, had he met with the target?”

Steve remembered that information from the briefing.Agent Barton was sent undercover to get information on possible science and technology contacts working with HYDRA, and he was close to bringing over the biggest fish of all.The highly secretive, multi-billion dollar conglomerate, Stark Industries.

“That’s another fire we have on our list to put out.Tony Stark seems to get off on giving the middle finger to any kind of regulation, including law enforcement.We can’t risk finding out too late that he’d go far enough to work with HYDRA to prove a point.His technology is just too advanced and too dangerous.We wanted to bring him over to our side using a carrot, but we’ve lost that option now.Time to get out the stick.Steve, he’s going to be at this address today.Our contact has set up a meeting while he’s in town.”Maria shot Sam an irritated look.“Since Agent Wilson insists on _working through the pain_ , take him with you.”

 

* * *

 

“Agent Steve Rogers, this is my partner Agent Sam Wilson.”Both men stood holding their badges up for the woman in front of them to inspect.Unlike most people, who saw the shield and instantly caved, Pepper Potts took each badge and inspected it, and the pictures closely.

“Nice to meet you, agents.Mr. Stark is a very busy man, so I hope we can keep this brief.”

“That’s going to depend on Mr. Stark.”Steve smiled congenially, but the very idea of Tony Stark got under his skin.Wealthy heir to more money than Steve could imagine, and arrogant enough to play with the safety of the world for his amusement.Steve was not happy going into this with no leverage on the man.

Tony Stark kept one of his many penthouses in Washington, D.C.Ever since the government had taken an interest in his work, he had also taken an interest in the lobbying opportunity that provided him.The penthouse was slowly turning in to a home away from home of sorts.

Pepper Potts led the two agents into a huge, lavishly decorated living room that was a cross between a palace and a teenage boy’s dream room.It was set up for entertainment and entertaining.Neither of which was of interest to Steve.

“Mr. Stark?I’d like to present Agents Rogers and Wilson here to speak to you from SHIELD.”

Stark had an assortment of metal parts strewn on the table in front of him, and he casually finished whatever he was doing the the little robot he was working on, before he acknowledged the introduction.He waved the two agents over to the sofa across from him.

“What does the government want from little ol’ me?”He grinned.

“An assurance that you’re one of the good guys,” said Steve, meeting Tony’s casual dismissive attitude with firm focus.“Your arc reactor technology is truly amazing, but also something that would cost a lot of innocent lives if it fell into the wrong hands.”

“You mean, if it fell into HYDRA’s hands?”Stark’s question was innocent enough, but Steve was tired of this game.

“Yes,” Sam’s tone indicated the appended _asshole_ was a given.

“I’m sure we were supposed to present you with a long list of… perks were were going to offer you, for not working with HYDRA, but instead I’m going to ask you what you are going to offer us.”Steve’s tactic was unusual, and Sam went with it despite his surprise.“Your father was many things, but he was one of the good guys.He worked tirelessly to help prevent a nuclear war between America and Russia, and now it’s your turn to prove you’re better than him.”

It was pure instinct that told Steve this was the right approach, and given Stark’s reaction he hit the nail on the head.The man stiffened at the mention of his father, and started to shift uncomfortably at the mention of his legacy.

“My father was killed because of his work against the Russians.He risked everything, including the happiness of his family, and look where it got him.”The topic made him so agitated, that the little plastic piece he was holding in his hand snapped in half.“SHIELD doesn’t care about me.It doesn’t care about you or any one of the individual civilians or agents it should care about.One of these days, you’re going to find yourself in the same position my father did.SHIELD’s going to have to choose between your life and the mission, and it’s going to choose the mission every single time.”

Steve’s expression softened.Sometimes in this game he forgot that it wasn’t just spies and soldiers battling each other.There were civilians who got pulled into their war games every day, completely unprepared and terrified.Looking at the man in front of him, the highly intelligent and successful CEO who didn’t flinch, Steve suddenly saw the frightened little boy who lost his parents to forces he didn’t understand.He couldn’t reach the arrogant CEO, but that frightened little boy was worth fighting for.

“You’re right.I signed up for this because I’m willing to do my part and offer up my life if it means some little kid I’ve never met gets to sleep soundly and never ever know how close we came to destroying ourselves and each other.I know it’s a lot to ask, Tony.But your work has the power to do that, in a way that a simple soldier willing to die for freedom, like me, doesn’t have.Please.”

Stark didn’t say anything, but Steve saw something shift in the man.He felt a small amount of hope, and a sudden warmth towards Tony Stark.For all his faults, he had the potential to be a great man some day.Steve was going to make sure he became that man.

“Mr. Stark?”Pepper Potts reappeared, flanked by a young woman with long blonde hair flowing in waves down her back, wearing a black trench coat and stilettos.“Your next appointment has arrived.”

Stark’s entire demeanour changed, and all the potential Steve was trying to coax out was once again buried beneath the playboy exterior.He stood up and held out his hands for the woman, who did a little twirl before coming to him.

Sam smirked and got up to leave, but Steve found himself locking eyes with the woman and felt a shiver go through him.She was clearly an escort of some kind, made even more certain when Stark began playing with the tie of her trench coat and it loosened enough to show that she was dressed in nothing more than lacy black lingerie beneath it.It was uncomfortable to watch, and Steve quickly dropped his eyes and took up Ms. Potts’ offer to walk them out.

By the time they left, the woman was down to just the stilettos.She let out a little sigh of relief as the elevator doors closed without incident and she could focus all her attention on the real prize.

Tony Stark was going to help HYDRA whether he knew it or not.

 

* * *

 

“Well… was he _good_?”

Natasha sighed as she finished hiding the contents of her black duffle bag in the secret compartment in their basement.James had walked in as she pulled out the blonde wig.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, James.You know it meant nothing.It was a mission.”

“Was he _good_?”

“Yes.He was _good_.Are you _happy_ now?!”The two of them glared at each other.

James and Natasha were a perfect couple.Or rather, they were perfect partners.They had been matched by HYDRA, two outstanding agents who were ready for a truly difficult assignment.Neither had any idea it would be a mission they’d have to dedicate themselves to every moment of their lives.They worked well together.They cared deeply about each other, and trusted each other.They even slept together, with all the intimacy that involved.

But there was a fault line that lay between them, where two disparate lives had been glued together and painted over.

They were encouraged, and even expected to have children, but in a moment of youthful panic when she discovered she was going to be assigned to a strange man, Natasha had had that _taken care of_.They never spoke about their old lives - too dangerous for the mission - and so she never told James the truth.She never regretted her decision.It would have been too cruel to bring children into the life she led.James must have figured it out himself at some point, because he dropped the issue and they no longer spoke about children.

For her part, she quickly realized that his dedication to the cause and the mission meant he would marry a strange woman and throw himself into being the perfect husband… even though it took a long time of them being intimate together before his body would even react to her touch.

It was a sore spot for James, she knew.He really did love her, and it tore at him that he was failing his wife.She really did love him too, and wished there was some way she could comfort and satisfy the part of him he worked so hard to bury.That he should never have had to bury.

Natasha shut the hidden compartment and went to her husband.She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him softly on the lips.“He knows he can buy any woman, and it makes him lazy.He’s good at taking and claiming, but forgets to return the favour.”

A small smile pulled at the corner of James’ lips.

“He was good, sure.Any man who has that many women throwing themselves at him is bound to learn a thing or two.But not great.Not you.”

They kissed, passionately this time, and Natasha felt James relax in her arms.It was a small thing to do for him.She couldn’t imagine treating any other man’s ego with kid gloves in the same way, but she loved him.

“How’s dinner going?” she asked, when they finally pulled apart.

A panicked look darted across his face and James rushed into the kitchen where the roast had just started to smoke and burn.

 

* * *

 

It was nice to relax, after the day he had.The Barnes household - he discovered, when he was introduced properly to his new neighbours - were wonderful, friendly people.

Steve had initially been taken aback when he was introduced to Natasha’s husband.He was tall and muscular.Not as much as Steve perhaps, but a feast for the eyes.He had closed cropped brown hair and dazzlingly blue eyes.

But it was that completely unself-conscious smile that dropped the floor out from beneath Steve’s feet.

Shit.There was a completely inappropriate reaction for an engaged man to have to someone else’s husband.

Thankfully, Natasha had cold beers waiting for the three of them, and James excused himself to get dinner on the table.Which was, delicious.Both of them apologized profusely for it being over done, but Steve was comparing the home cooked meal to his usual fare of takeout and TV dinners, and was over the moon.

Trying to refocus his errant thoughts about James, Steve tried to focus on the little moments he saw between them.James always touched the small of Natasha’s back when she came to stand near him, and she touched his thigh whenever she addressed him as they sat together.

It was, sweet.Something he used to have with Peggy, and a desperate craving he didn’t realize he needed so desperately until that moment.  He lost hours as they talked and laughed, deep into the night, and he dreamed about being part of that kind of love.  The decent hour to excuse himself and go home had long since passed, without any notice.

“Steve…?Earth to Steve?”Natasha’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, but it was with James that he automatically made eye contact.  There was that smile again.

“Oh, right.You were asking about what I did in New York.It turns out HYDRA’s been focusing on major cities.Business, industry… even politics, which is why I’m here.”

“That sounds terrifying!Have you ever had to fight a HYDRA agent before?I’ve only seen them in movies.I can barely believe they’re real people… how can anyone be so cruel and evil?”

Steve shrugged.“They’re just people.Like you and me.Most of them have their reasons for believing in HYDRA’s cause.I suspect a lot of them were forced into it.I don’t think they’re evil.I’d save them if I could.”

The look on James’ face made him blush, and he took another sip of his beer to have something to do with his hands.

“You sound like a true hero, Steve.I’m glad you’re on our side,” James said quietly.

Natasha must have noticed the look as well, because she ran her fingers along her husband’s neck until her hand settled on his back.James locked eyes with her, his expression uncertain.

By the time realization dawned on him it was too late.Natasha had already started talking.

“So… Steve.I know we just met and all, but I’m starting to think its _fate_ that had you move in next door.It was my birthday last weekend-“

“Happy belated,” said Steve.He was watching the two of them, and trying to suppress the urge to run out the door before whatever bomb Natasha was about to drop, fell.

“Thanks.So Bucky, big sweetheart that he is, has been asking me to choose what my birthday present is going to be, and I’ve finally decided what I want.”

“Nat…”James’ voice had a note of warning, but it was half-hearted and eventually he squeezed her hand.

“Something pretty and fun, I hope?” said Steve.He didn’t quite understand what was happening, but when James relaxed he did too.

“Yes,” grinned Natasha.“You.”

Steve choked on his drink so hard, James had to rush around and thump him on the back a few times.He accepted the glass of water Natasha pushed into his hands.“I’m sorry.I think I misunderstood.What do you mean me?”

Natasha sat on the chair next to him and put her hand on his knee.Steve was keenly aware of the heat of James’ body behind him.His whole body was focused on the spot where the man’s hand still rested on his shoulder.

“A threesome, Steve.  I'm asking if you'd be willing to be a third for us in bed.  I know it’s not proper to just come out and say it, but James and I have been talking about spicing up our love life a little and I think this is exactly what we’re looking for.Just… tell us if this is too much.I know things are complicated with your fiancee, but I got the sense that you were lonely and maybe… maybe this can work for you too?Just sex.You wouldn’t be obligated to us in any way.You already aren’t.If you decide not to we’ll just pretend nothing ever happened and we’re happy to be ordinary friends and neighbours.”

Steve was completely overwhelmed.What had he walked into?And why wasn’t he offended and running for the door?

He knew the answer when he saw Natasha look over his shoulder at her husband and smile.Wasn’t there a part of him that desperately wanted to be part of that moment between them just now?He felt James’ hand slide lower down, over his chest, until it settled on top of his abs - though all Steve could count was how close it was to his crotch - and the man’s face was right beside Steve’s ear.

“Have you ever been with a man before, Steve…?” he whispered.The touch of his breath sent sensual shivers throughout Steve’s whole body and he realized the decision was already made for him.

Steve’s whole life was about keeping secrets.Peggy knew that when she got together with him, but there was always one secret he kept from her that had nothing to do with his work.And now his incredibly gorgeous neighbour nearly had his secret by the balls, and worse, he _wanted it_.  He wanted him to know the secret he never told anyone.

His brain was clearly not the one processing and responding to any of this, because alarm bells were going off in his head saying _What the fuck are you doing, Rogers?!_

“Yes…” he breathed.“I’ll do it.”


	3. Playing with Fire

If there was a way to tell the two nameless spies apart, it was the ease with which Natasha slipped in and out of identities.She wore them like dresses to be put on and changed for something new when she tired of it, or the occasion arose.Even now, as she stood in just her bare skin, James could see the subtle seams in the persona of the sexually adventurous housewife.

James himself had no such luck.Unlike Natasha, he had come up in HYDRA as a soldier not a spy.He could easily stand at her side in any mission but instead of putting his identities on like clothes, he made them a part of him and buried them deep inside.

Would they even recognize their true selves if they saw it?Or perhaps those selves were long gone - sold to buy a new dress so many times she’d forgotten what the first one even looked like, or buried beneath so many layers it was indistinguishable from the earth around it.Perhaps all that was left was the people they were now, pretending to be whoever they needed to be for the moment.

For the mission.

“James?”The sound of his name brought him back.Natasha was standing, exposed, between the two men.She had her hand reached out to him, beckoning.A conduit to connect two men who had nothing more to do with each other than geography and bad timing.

He took a deep breath, and then her hand.

Steve was sitting on the living room couch.It was as far as they got him before his nerves started getting the better of him.The buttons of his crisp white shirt were half undone, where Natasha had playfully slipped them open one by one as she sat in his lap.

It partially answered the question that popped into James’ head - how far that endearing blush spread.Apparently it went all the way down a chest that looked carved out of marble, from the small glimpse he could see.

James let his fingers run along Natasha’s arms… down the sleek silhouette of her sides, until they came to rest on her hips.He let his lips settle against the skin of her neck, but his eyes were locked with Steve’s.

With every kiss he lay against her neck, her shoulder, he could see the man’s mouth involuntarily twitch open and then shut.When James let his right hand slide up over the flat plane of Natasha’s belly he could feel his body respond.He could see how the man sat straighter still, enraptured by the show in front of him.

It could have been a dance.Natasha’s beautiful, lean body moving beneath his touch.The captivated audience watching their every motion.

James turned her head to capture her lips in a kiss, and she took the opportunity to turn into him completely to return it.When she finally pulled away, her lips were sweetly swollen and she formed them into a pout.

“I didn’t bring you both here to star in a show for _you_.You’re both far too overdressed right now, and I won’t go any farther until that’s fixed.”

He couldn’t help but laugh as she walked over to Steve in a huff, and once again settled in his lap.The smile on her face told James she liked what she found when she got there.

“He’s interested.Go on.”

Unlike the sexy striptease Natasha had done for them, James pulled his cotton t-shirt straight over his head in one motion and tossed it towards the pair on the couch.He grinned as he undid his belt buckle and the top button of his jeans, but went no further.

“Wait!That’s it?Keep going!”Natasha called.Even Steve had to laugh.The man had been watching breathlessly, and now he couldn’t tear his eyes away from James.  All the intense interest made him blush as bright as Steve, which was not how this was supposed to go.

“That’s as far as I go.Any further and I’ll need payment in kind.”

He walked towards the couch and put his hands on the backrest, on either side of Steve’s head.Steve looked up at him, and James made the mistake of looking directly into those blue eyes at such an… intimate distance.

Before he could question or understand the feeling that settled deep in his belly, James leaned down and closed the space between them.Steve must have tilted his head and moved towards him as well, because he was surprised by the suddenness of the kiss.

Every kiss he ever had came flooding back to him, in a flash of memory.Most were moments so meaningless that he couldn’t catch them before they were gone.He remembered the feelings that came with his first kiss.He remembered his first kiss with Natasha, days after their wedding when he had finally screwed up the courage to talk to her about the “expectations” in their marriage.He remember his _real_ first kiss with Natasha, the night they finally slept together after an emotionally trying mission.

All this to say that his mind brought every kiss, real and faked, to compare with what Steve felt and tasted like.To compare and dismiss completely, because nothing had ever felt like this.James began to feel foolish, and started to pull apart.

He got in one quick breath before Steve reached up and pulled him back, deepening the kiss until they had to gasp for air.

They drifted back slowly, eyes locked together.James could at least take heart that Steve looked just as confused and overwhelmed as he felt.

“Wow.Wow… that was incredibly hot.”Even Natasha sounded breathless.“Now… about those clothes - ooOOH!”

She quickly jumped off Steve’s lap as it began to vibrate violently.James pulled her into his arms, and held her to him as Steve apologized profusely and dug the phone out of his pocket.

He pressed a button and held it to his ear.“Hello?”He had to clear his throat, as his voice sounded alarmingly raspy.“Sorry, yes this is Rogers.Sam?What?!That’s amazing!I’ll be right there!”

His entire face was lit up with excitement, and it lasted long enough to refocus on James and Natasha.“Oh my god.I’m so sorry.I… this is just my job.When they call, I have to head in.”He hurriedly re-buttoned his shirt and tried to tuck it in and smooth it to some semblance of dignity.“I really am sorry.That was… that was something else…”

James grinned and offered to walk him to the door.“Forget it.It’s not like a hero can turn down a call to go… hero.Besides.We know where you live.And we’re going to come collect what’s owed us sometime soon.”

Steve laughed, and agreed.“Rain check.Thank you for the lovely dinner and… for the rest of tonight.”

Natasha had wrapped a blanket around herself and stood peering around the doorway.She smiled at the compliment about the food.“James made dinner.And I have a feeling James was the one you actually want to thank for  _the rest of tonight_.”

There was that crimson again.James couldn’t help but tease him.He straightened Steve’s collar, and dusted off his suit jacket… before gripping the collar tight and pulling him in for another kiss.

Steve swayed where he stood, but regained control of himself, and managed a half dignified exit this time.

As the door shut, Natasha walked up to James and threw her arms around his waist.“Well you got a lot more into that than I expected.I didn’t know if you had it in you.But you really, really sold him.He had puppy eyes going from the moment you put your hand on his shoulder.And that kiss!If I didn’t know better, I’d say you almost weren’t pretending at all…”

James turned his attention to her and wrapped his arms around her.“That’s because I’m the better agent.And he’s going to become an _asset_ for us whether he wants to or not.  You don't think that call... is that something we have to worry about?

"We'll stay alert, but I doubt it.  You say him.  He has  _no idea_ what he's dealing with.  But, u ntil that prime piece of _asset_ returns… need some help with those blue balls he left you?”

Bucky was just about ready to cry with gratitude, and Natasha knew it.“Oh, for fucks’ sake, yes!I can’t stand this much longer.”

 

* * *

 

The trouble with working with investigative agents was that they never let you get away with anything.The moment Steve walked through the door, Sam - who he had only met that same day - caught one glimpse of him and broke into a second hand pride kind of smile.

“Took you long enough.Wait a minute… don’t tell me you got laid!That is excellent news, man.I was worried they stuck me with a real boring piece of work.”Sam spoke loud enough for the agents working at the surrounding desks to hear and smirk.

“Maybe.I do have a life outside of work.”Steve very much did _not_ get laid that night, and that was a problem that delayed him just long enough to make him late.And he hated being late.“Anyways, you got me down here in the middle of the night.What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”

Sam gave him a look that said their conversation wasn’t quite over, but he pointed to the screen.Barton’s picture still waited patiently in a corner of the screen, but the larger portion of it was taken up by a map of the city.

“We had all our lines open in case we got a bite on one of them, and tonight an unassigned tracker pinged the system.It registered, but wasn’t strong enough for us to triangulate a location.”

“Goddamn!Barton must be trying to signal us…”The looks on everyone’s faces, mixed relief and hope, told him he was right.

“We don’t know for sure.But if he manages to do it, even one more time, we’ll be waiting with all of SHIELD ready to drop on those bastards’ heads.”

Steve clapped Sam on the back hard enough to make him wince, but his partner understood and returned his enthusiasm.No one mentioned the possibility that the signal was a fluke.

Sam pulled out a folder from the pile on his desk, marked **HYDRA: Confidential**.“It’s not as interesting as watching the screen where a signal _might_ show up, but I did find this during my research.”

At first, Steve didn’t understand what he was seeing.The folder was full of complicated scientific notes and technical drawings of… what?He couldn’t tell.Half of it was in Russian, which he spoke passably but couldn’t read at such a technical level.

“Come back to that part later.Skip ahead to **Project: Winter Soldier** ”

Steve did as told, and froze when he saw a blurry picture of a man that was definitely the same one in the video of Hawkeye’s disappearance.“Too bad there still isn’t a clearer picture of him.”

“The man’s a ghost.Practically an urban legend according to everything I’ve managed to find on him.Which, pretty much amounts to that one blurry picture.He’s an ex-Soviet, HYDRA assassin.Linked to more unsolved cases than I can count, but never seen and never anything solid enough to help us.”

The blurry picture stirred that sense of some dark memory deep inside Steve again.

“I just have this feeling that… I know him somehow.I know that sounds insane, but… is there any possibility I could get the files on him and the list of cases he’s linked to?Maybe there’s something in there that will settle whatever this is.”

“Sure thing,” said Sam handing him a few of the files off his desk.“I’ll have them put the rest on your desk tomorrow.”

A faint beep noise went off, and the room burst into noise and action.It was faint again, as before, but the signal had definitely gone off.And this time a room full of agents had seen it and quickly worked out approximately where it came from.

SHIELD agents everywhere sprang into action.Sam and Steve were going to be as close behind as they could.

“Steve?What are you waiting for?”Sam called to his partner, where he stood frowning at the screen and the once again blank space where the signal had just flashed.

“Something’s not right…”Steve said, his voice full of dread.

 

* * *

 

Natasha smiled to herself as she tiptoed down the stairs.She had never seen James like that before.He was _magnificent_ , and insatiable.Something about their foreplay tonight set off his sexual appetite like nothing she had ever remembered.

That was going to have to happen again.Soon, and with or without her.She had thought that it would be her leading an operation against a man engaged to be married to a woman, but it turned out this was on better run by James all by his lonesome.

She had left him naked and passed out on the bed upstairs, and went to check on their _other_ SHIELD problem.Perhaps if she was less exhausted, or less… happy within her own thoughts, he wouldn’t have been able to get the drop on her.

As it was, the moment she opened the basement door, she realized her mistake.The SHIELD agent was behind the door, and he threw his full weight into it and knocked her down the stairs.The pain knocked the air from her lungs, but it wasn’t enough to keep her down.

She sprinted back up the stairs and managed to tackle him in the kitchen.They fought, hand-to-hand.Not for the first time Barton had the decency to look completely shocked that Natasha was the better fighter.With the waning element of surprise he still had over her, he was barely keeping up with every punch and kick that came flying his way.

His wounds from the night he was initially captured had been bandaged, but Natasha had no compunction about hitting them as weak points.He screamed out in pain as a direct punch reopened the wound in his side and the white bandage flowered with red blood again.It was enough to make him collapse to his knees.

A small metallic object rolled out from his hand, or the folds of his clothes, and across the floor to where Natasha picked it up and examined it.Her eyes went wide.

“Tell me you didn’t activate this.TELL ME you are not going to bring them straight to my HOME!”

Barton couldn’t help but smile unsteadily back at her.“Yes.Now they know I’m here.They’re coming for me.They’re going to KILL you.”As he spoke, his hand reached across the counter slowly and closed around a kitchen knife.

Natasha was frantically trying to see if there was a way to disable the tracking device, without sending out another signal.

Barton started to lunge forward with the knife.With the element of surprise on his side, he might have gotten her pretty good, if not actually killed her.Instead, James was the one who took back the element of surprise and had him in a headlock before he could move.

“Drop the knife.”The sharp clatter on the kitchen tile told him when Barton complied.“Nat?”

“I can’t… they’re not already here, which makes me think they haven’t traced the signal to us yet.But we can’t risk sending out another one.We have to get rid of it.And move him to another safe house.If they find us here…”

James nodded grimly.If they were found out here, a lifetime of undercover work would go down the drain.And worse, SHIELD would have two highly desirable HYDRA agents to torture and drain for information.

He tried to shake the thought of being captured and interrogated by Steve… and how just the thought of him spiked arousal so easily in his body.Foolish thoughts like that would have to wait.There was too much at stake right now.“You get him to the safe house.I’ll make the tracker disappear.”

Natasha was calm and collected as always, but she was shaken.“Are you sure?What if they find you?”

“Don’t you worry about me.Tonight, they think they’re coming for their spook?Well, we’re going to let them chase a ghost of our own.”


End file.
